Valentine's Day Wine Picks (2025)

Celebrating Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day, or cozying up for a quiet evening alone at home on February 14th? Here are a few wine recommendations to treat yourself or that special someone in your life. All three wines are versatile enough that they can be enjoyed on their own, or paired with food at the dinner table, and will provide immense pleasure.Sparkling wine is always...

Read More

Attems Pinot Grigio 2022 (Friuli) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely Pinot Grigio from DOC Friuli in northeastern Italy that returned to the LCBO last weekend as part of the February 3 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.It is produced by Attems, an estate winery with a dynasty that dates as far back as 1106 with documentation that confirms ownership of the land dedicated to viticulture in Collio. Synonymous...

Read More

Piera 1899 Terre Magre (Friuli) Virtual Wine Tasting

In September, I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive virtual wine tasting via Zoom to taste the latest wines from Piera 1899's Terre Magre line of wines - a pure expression of Friuli. Leading the presentation and tasting were Anna Polon, Sales and Marketing Director, and she was joined by Gianpietro Poveglian, Oenologist at Piera 1899.The wines of Terre Magre are produced...

Read More

Alois Lageder Terra Alpina Pinot Grigio 2022 (Alto Adige) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is the latest vintage of a lovely, organic Pinot Grigio from northern Italy. A perennial favourite of mine, this latest vintage arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the feature on "Summer Sippers" in the June 24th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is readily available to buy now.Terra Alpina wines are produced by Alois Lageder Winery,...

Read More

Fasoli Gino San Raffaele Pinot Grigio 2021 (delle Venezie) - Wine Review

After enjoying the 2020 Fasoli Gino San Raffaele Pinot Grigio last year, tonight's white wine review is the latest vintage of this lovely white wine from northeastern Italy which arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the March 4 LCBO VINTAGES Release. This lovely, organic, and vegan-friendly white wine is also sporting a new, fresh, and modern label for this vintage.It...

Read More

Filare Italia Wine Tasting Dinner (May 2022)

On May 9th, I had the pleasure (and finally felt somewhat comfortable) attending my first wine tasting dinner since the start of the pandemic. The dinner was hosted by Caliber Fine Wines & Spirits with wines from Filare Italia and held at Posticino Ristorante in Etobicoke. Joining us from the company that produced these wines were Marco Tam and Vincenzo Castana who talked...

Read More

Bottega Pinot Grigio Rosé 2021 (Venezie) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this deliciously dry rosé wine made with Pinot Grigio from Italy that is coming to LCBO VINTAGES on June 18.The story of Bottega S.p.A. begins in 1635 when the forefather, Andrea, was cultivating vines in the hills near Molinetto della Croda in Refrontolo, a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Veneto wine region. The Bottega family were originally...

Read More

Fasoli Gino San Raffaele Pinot Grigio 2020 (delle Venezie) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is the latest incarnation of this delicious, organic, and vegan-friendly Pinot Grigio that arrived at the LCBO as part of the January 8th LCBO VINTAGES Release last weekend.I last tasted a previous edition of this wine nearly six years ago when the 2015 San Raffaele Monte Tabor Pinot Grigio arrived at the LCBO. However, this wine now bears the DOC...

Read More

Six-pack of LCBO General List Wines (Dec. 2021)

To wrap up the last batch of LCBO General List wines I received a few months ago, tonight's wine reviews are six wines that are readily available at LCBO outlets across Ontario, with a couple that are on promotion right now.While all of these wines in this post are represented by Dionysus Wines & Spirits (and Churchill Cellars), the Mare di Sirena and Popcorn Chardonnay...

Read More

Villa Sandi Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2018 (Veneto) - Wine Review

Following up on the delicious Villa Sandi Prosecco Il Fresco that I enjoyed recently, tonight's wine review is a Pinot Grigio from the same producer. Like the Prosecco, this is a General List wine and widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario. It can be purchased in-store or online for pick-up or delivery. Villa Sandi is a family-owned and operated winery situated in...

Read More

Cliffhanger Pinot Grigio 2017 (Italy) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a white wine from northern Italy that will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on February 16. It is produced by Mezzacorona, one of the oldest and largest, continuous grower co-operatives in all of Italy, tracing its origins to 1904. Cliffhanger is their concept for wines crafted on the "Edge of Perfection", and this Pinot Grigio is their best expression...

Read More

Nugan Annelise Pinot Grigio 2017 (Australia) - Wine Review

Opened up this crisp Pinot Grigio on this fine Autumn day (that feels more like Spring, to be honest) and is widely available at the LCBO. This white wine is also currently on promotion, offering 10 Bonus Air Miles with every purchase until November 4. This white wine is produced by Nugan Estate from Australia and seems to be made for Canada-only as I can't find any info...

Read More

Montecillo Crianza 2011 (Rioja) and Lamberti Santepietre Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2015 (Veneto) - Wine Reviews

As we begin enjoying the hot summer weather, here are a couple of affordable wines that should quench your thirst. The first is a Pinot Grigio and is usually a crowd favourite, while the Crianza is a savoury red wine made with Tempranillo that will be suitable for your backyard BBQ party. Both of these wines are widely available at the LCBO. If you're heading outdoors,...

Read More

Lamberti Santepietre Pinot Grigio 2015 (Italy) - Wine Review

Last night I opened up this easy drinking Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy. This wine is produced by Cantina Lamberti, a winery that was established in 1964 and is named after one of the oldest noble families of Verona. The grapes for this wine were harvested from Trentino and Veneto vineyards along the Adige Valley in Northern Italy, and were picked during the last 10 days...

Read More

San Raffaele Monte Tabor Pinot Grigio 2015 (Veneto) - Wine Review

Opened up this organic white wine last night ahead of it's release onto LCBO VINTAGES shelves on October 29th. The grapes for this organic Pinot Grigio come from vineyards in the area around Verona, west of Venice, and is managed by winegrowers who have been cultivating organically for more than 25 years. This 2015 vintage is a step up in quality from the 2014 San Raffaele...

Read More

Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival Review 2016 - Day 1

On the weekend of June 11-12, 2016, I visited Niagara wine country to take in the annual New Vintage Festival and indulge in Discovery Pass Experiences throughout the region. Saturday's activities centered around the wineries of the Niagara Escarpment and Twenty Valley. A full review of Sunday's activities, which were mostly in Niagara-on-the-Lake, will be posted in a few...

Read More